Hermann's Jazz Club

Hermann’s Jazz Club was established in 1985, and has become a cornerstone for live musical performance in Greater Victoria (and Vancouver Island).

In 2015 the owner Hermann Nieweler passed away, and the operation and facility have been managed by the estate (family) and a committee of volunteers (Kelby MacNayr, William Stewart, Nichola Walkden), with support from the community. In operating the Club Hermann’s generosity to the music community has been realized, as the operation as a stand-alone business is unsustainable, having previously been subsidized by rental income received from other tenants within the building (753/751 View Street) that Hermann Nieweler owned.

The primary mandate of Jazz On View at this time is to secure the all-ages performance venue (753 View Street, Victoria, BC) and to continue its tradition of all ages live music performance, in a way that is sustainable, advances the public’s appreciation of the arts, and contributes to the commerce of the arts.

We believe that the public’s support of this organization is strong enough to attain this goal charitably.

Some regular bands and artists have been playing at the club weekly for nearly 35 years, including Tom Vickery, CANUS and Dixieland Express. Many nationally and internationally acclaimed acts have graced our stage, including but not limited to: Wynton Marsalis, Kenny Wheeler, Renee Rosnes, Dewey Redman, Loudon Wainwright III, Hal Galper, Brian Auger, Judy Collins, Eric Bibb, David Francey, Michael Kaeshammer, Maria Muldaur, Michael Buble and Rob McConnell. Stars Diana Krall and Nelly Furtado played at the club before being discovered.

Jazz on View, a new non-profit community group, has offered to buy the building, said Nichola Walkden, manager of Hermann’s Jazz Club.

She said Jazz on View’s offer — which has not been accepted — is a multi-million-dollar offer based on having seven months to raise the cash.

She said there is considerable support for Jazz on View, noting that a benefit concert Monday raised more than $80,000 in verbal pledges.

“Someone made a public $20,000 pledge. I got lots of pledges of support,” Walkden said, adding that the $100-a-ticket event sold out.

Building co-owner Stephan Nieweler, one of Hermann’s children, said he encourages the Victoria music community’s efforts to support of the club.

However, he has yet to decide about the club or the View Street building.

“I have not been directly engaged by any group for a respectful conversation about my interests and feelings pertaining to these assets; therefore, any speculation regarding a potential sale of the jazz club and/or building to this group, or any other, is premature,” he said Wednesday in an email.

The group’s primary aim is to keep Hermann’s alive as an all-ages music venue with an emphasis on jazz. “If we were able to own the whole building, we could run it as a foundation.

We could generate money that we could put back into the arts,” MacNayr said.

Walkden said Hermann Nieweler had to subsidize the club, which for him was a labour of love. After he died, Hermann’s Jazz Club was sustained partly by revenues from Yuk Yuk’s. However, the comedy club closed its doors in November after five months.

In the event that we are not in the position to issue tax receipts when pledges are called we have named The National Trust for Land and Culture as a partner to this project. https://jazzonview.c...anns-jazz-club/

Bill Turner was formerly with the The Land Conservancy and is now chairperson of The National Trust for Land and Culture, and Nichola Walkden is vice-chairperson of NTLC(BC)

The Jazz on View Society says its campaign to purchase Hermann’s Jazz Club has been hurt by a falling-out between management and nightclub staff.

Last month the nightclub’s former manager, who’d worked there for 15 years, resigned. As well, five staffers — some of them longtime employees — either resigned or were laid off. All were supporters of the Jazz on View Society.

“Frankly, the situation now is distressing. Most of the amazing staff have either left or been forced to leave,” wrote Bill Turner, president of the Jazz on View Society, in a message to supporters.

“These circumstances are affecting our campaign, since we are not able to easily use the club as a venue to get the message out or even do media interviews on site,” he wrote.

So that's pretty ugly. The family you are trying to buy the building from is denying you access to try to raise the money to buy from them.

FWIW, the club actually looked nicer, and the service was better, the last time I was in.

I have no insight into the politics here, but the way I read the article it made me feel like there might be a group of people who were opposed to a jazz club making any changes from the way it has looked and been run for decades, and another group who was actually running it and trying to make it a viable business.

FWIW, the club actually looked nicer, and the service was better, the last time I was in.

I have no insight into the politics here, but the way I read the article it made me feel like there might be a group of people who were opposed to a jazz club making any changes from the way it has looked and been run for decades, and another group who was actually running it and trying to make it a viable business.

Most of the regulars don't mind the way it looked.

There is a big difference between trying to make it a viable business, and trying to raise money to buy an old non-heritage building.

The old place had some character but with the new paint and all the memorabilia removed it's just another room and could be anywhere, so why would there be a campaign to save something that is GONE and never to return. It is a sad time for the regular fans and I would think many of them will withdraw any pledge that was made.